Her hand drops to her stomach and then quickly falls to her side. I freeze. She coughs and then stands up straighter, crossing her arms.
“So, other than hockey, how’s school going?”
“Nope. We aren’t going to ignore what just happened.” I point to Chase and then to Stella. “Are you guys—”
“Fletch,” Chase jumps up off the couch, “you can’t tell anyone.”
“Oh my god, you are.”
My heart feels like it could burst out of my chest at any moment. I don’t know how we will continue to hold holidays here because in ten years, there will probably be more grandchildren than children, and a four-bedroom house won’t cut it, but this is the most ecstatic I’ve been in ages.
I haven’t had a new niece or nephew since Jace was born five years ago, and it will be nice to have another baby in the family.
Not all of us want big families like the one we came from, but I know I do.
There’s something about the chaos that excites me. Most people assumed that growing up in a family this large would suck and that we wouldn’t feel loved, but my moms always made sure that we were all loved equally. It wasn’t easy, but they made sure that we all felt important and knew that no one mattered more because they were carried by one of them or shared DNA.
The only people who understood my family and actually enjoyed being a part of it were my best friends. I knew they’d be my friends for life because of that.
“When are you due?” I take a step toward Stella and pull her into another hug. “I call dibs on Godfather.”
“Obviously.” Chase wraps his arms around me. “Uncle Fletch was the first choice for Godfather.”
“I’m due in April,” Stella whispers. “We’re having a boy.”
It’s crazy that out of everyone in this house, the first person I want to run and tell is Tate.
“Now, you can’t tell anyone, okay? We want to wait until after the holiday. And I have to find a time Stella and I can go down and see my dad, and then her parents, and we want to have that all figured out before we tell everyone; you know how quickly things spread in our family.”
“Don’t worry, though, that doesn’t include Tate, okay?” Stella squeezes my hand. “Just make sure you tell her not to say anything.”
“I can’t believe you’re having a baby.” I try to stay calm before everyone runs in to find out what all the commotion is.
“Neither can we.”
“Hey.” Chase looks over my shoulder, and I turn around and see Tate.
“Everything okay?” Her eyes narrow, and the rest of the family slowly shows up in the doorway.
“Fine,” I respond. “Just telling Stella about how the team is absolutely crushing it this year. She and Chase said they’d come to the game if we make it to the championship.”
That seems to do the trick for everyone else since they follow our moms into the kitchen, Chase and Stella included, but Tate stops me before I can pass her.
“You’ll tell me later?”
I lean forward, my lips pressed against her ear.
“Obviously.”
thirteen
Fletcher
I’m so happy that Tate came home with you,” Stella says, sitting down in the corner of the couch. Pretty much everyone has gone to bed, aside from me, Chase, Stella, Mom, Mama, and Freddie.
Kassidy couldn’t wait for the sleepover to begin; she dragged Tate upstairs the second everyone started to head to bed. I think, in many ways, Tate’s like a big sister to Kassidy. She’s been in our lives since Kassidy was four years old, so she doesn’t really remember a time before Tate. Just like we don’t really remember a time before Stella was in our lives.
Sure, we have two older sisters, but it’s hard to really have a connection with siblings who are much older than you, especially when they don’t really put in the effort to have that relationship.
